Especially for You
by Aki Rei
Summary: Sequel to LoveFool. Yuki and Shuichi's relationship is in a fix. Will they be able to overcome this hardship or will it end up badly?
1. Prologue

A/N: Hello, everyone! I'm back! This is Love Fool's sequel. I want to play around with Shuichi and Yuki's love life and so I thought of making it hard for them! Hahaha… I'm so bad! Anyway, I hope you'll like it!

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**Especially For You**

Prologue

Shuichi slowly inched his way towards their bedroom while trying to make as little sound as possible. Sweat slowly trickled from his forehead to his chin as he gulped. For sure Yuki would skin him alive! This was the nth time that he had broken a promise to the novelist. He wasn't sure if Yuki will forgive him this time around. Because Shuichi knew that he had stretched Yuki's patience to its limit.

But it wasn't as if Shuichi was trying Yuki's patience. Oh no. Of course he wouldn't do that. He loved Yuki Eiri with all his heart and would do just about anything for him. But it's so hard having a career and having a lover. Shuichi didn't know that having both in his life would be so taxing.

Shuichi shook his head as he tried to make sense of the situation. Maybe the wrong was on his part. Maybe he just didn't know how to balance his time. Maybe he just didn't know how to keep his promises in line. And maybe, he just didn't give his best to make ends meet. He sighed sadly as he remembered the untouched dishes on the table.

Earlier that morning Yuki had asked Shuichi to go home early as he wanted to have a decent dinner with him. He said that he'll cook something special for Shuichi. And so Shuichi found himself nodding happily at his lover's proposition. He gave his word that he'll be at home by seven pm. Yuki smiled and gave him a goodbye kiss as he went out to do his own business. Shuichi was in cloud nine at the moment before he realized that he'll be late for his own meeting.

At NG Corps, he lost track of time. They were recording their sophomore album and Mr. K had been breathing down their necks harsher than usual. It seems like Mr. President had been harassing Mr. Producer for a very good output which resulted to Mr. Producer harassing Mr. K for the best output. Needless to say, everyone in the band was hyped up and tense while making some songs.

And then Mr. K suddenly had this spark of inspiration. He thought that having a duet with ASK's Aizawa Taki would be a good way to promote the album this very early in the making. Not to mention that Aizawa Taki's input could be valuable too. And so without so much as a second thought about how Bad Luck might feel about it, Mr. K called Aizawa in, and they all started to make the ultimate song.

Time had passed by without their knowing. They were having the time of their life – bonding and then writing the song. Shuichi hadn't known that Aizawa can be candid. He thought that the lead vocalist of ASK would have a stick up his ass or something of that sort. But they had fun making up melodies and putting words into it. Even Fujisaki who had been aloof with Aizawa then had started to warm up to him. It was possibly because of the effort Aizawa put in to be nice. He still had that arrogant air around him, but as I said before, he's trying his best to tone that down.

And before Shuichi knew it, it was already 12:30 am. Way past 7 pm. Way past his dinner with Yuki. Excusing himself to Hiro, Fujisaki and Aizawa – Mr. K and Sakano-san had already left ages ago – he hurriedly went home only to find out that the lights were off and that Yuki had tired of waiting for him.

He didn't know whether to wake Yuki up and apologize to him or wait until morning and then apologize to Yuki. Either way the novelist would be steaming mad. It wasn't that often that Yuki would set a date between them. And when he did, what did Shuichi do? He forgot all about it!

Shuichi was feeling really guilty about this. Yuki had come out of his shell, slowly and steadily. When he first met Yuki, the novelist was aloof and cold. But he had changed so much. Yuki courted him and he even sang at a concert just to win him over!

And what did Shuichi do to repay him? He broke his promises over and over again! But it's not as if he had deliberately broken the promises. With his tight schedule and the upcoming album, everything was really erratic. One moment he was free, the other he was not. But still, he can make a difference right?

He can see that with each passing day, Yuki had been reverting to his old self. The cold and aloof one. Shuichi doesn't want that to happen and so this time, he'd really put in some effort into this relationship… He had to, or else the caring and loving Yuki could be lost once again.

"So you finally decided to come home?" Yuki asked Shuichi from their bedroom door. He was not looking angry or anything. In fact Yuki was looking stoic. Like he did not care whether Shuichi came home or not. Shuichi was not happy about this. Was he too late? Was Yuki really reverting to his old self again?

"Uh, Yuki, look I'm so sorry about tonight…" Shuichi started in his most sorry voice as he took steps to close the distance between them. But Yuki cut him off as he took a step back. As if avoiding any contact with Shuichi.

"I don't want to hear about it."

"But Yuki! Let me explain." Shuichi was getting desperate when he saw Yuki looking so cold. He didn't even flinch or showed any emotions through his eyes. Yuki took another step back as he regarded Shuichi coolly.

"What? You're going to tell me that you lost track of time once again?"

"But it's true! You know were working on our album!"

"Oh. So working on your album is more important than me?"

"You know that's not true! You're more important than my career!" Yuki looked at him as if he just said a lie and that he knew about it. Shuichi racked his brain for a come back.

"Look Yuki, tomorrow I'm going to have the day off… I'll make it up to you then." Shuichi said hurriedly as he placed a hand on Yuki's arm when he finally closed the gap between them.

"I have work tomorrow." Yuki said in a cold tone as he shook Shuichi arm off. He walked towards their bedroom without a back glance on Shuichi.

Shuichi sighed, defeated. This was the first time he had been brushed off by Yuki. And what the hell was he thinking? Was he wishfully thinking that Yuki would drop everything for him when he asked him? Of course Yuki had a life of his own… And he hadn't been doing the same thing to Yuki too, so what was he expecting!

Shuichi slid down on the floor, a tear escaping his eye. Tomorrow, he'll make it up to Yuki. That's a promise.

End Prologue

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A/N: So what do you think? Should I continue? 


	2. Chapter 1

**A/N**: Thanks for the reviews people! I am so happy that a lot of you liked LoveFool. I really hope I that I can pull this one off too… Anyways, I'll try my best and give me your feedbacks to help me along! Lots of my love to the following people:

**SilverTenshi44** – hey! Hahaha… Filipino ka din! Erm, kasi nabasa ko na isasara nila yung account mo sa ffn kapag may musical lyrics ka na nilagay sa fic mo! Kaya aun, no choice! Nilipat ko na lang sa Anyway, salamat sa review!

**Anendee** – Thanks for the review! Hahaha… It didn't enter my mind to make it readable for those who hadn't read LoveFool, so I'm pleasantly surprised that you found it that way!

**MistressofHyde** – No need to stalk me! Hahaha… Here's the next installment, Hope you like it! hugs

**Akuma** – Gosh… Hope I live up to your expectation!

**Clari-chan** – hey! What's up! I hope you also like this one! hugs clari-chan tightly Thanks for the review!

**Silverone** – thanks for the comment! And yup, not all relationships are ideal, they have to have problems once in awhile right?

**Nika** – don't worry! As long as this author can write she will write! Sob, sob… yeah, it's so sad, I've also lots of experiences on unfinished stories… Frustrating isn't it?

And thanks a lot to **animefreaktyan, Maes Hughes's lover, Shadowfox13, ****hiroyukishinji, lana and a reader for reviewing**!

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**Chapter 1 **

Yuki had tried to understand Shuichi. He really did. When his lover didn't come home when he said he would, he forgave him. When they set dates to make up for lost time and Shuichi turned up hours late, he showed little irritation and then forgave him. When Shuichi forgot their anniversary because of some lame reason of being too busy that he can't think about anything else, he gritted his teeth, bore with it and forgave him. But Yuki was only human. And he finally reached his limit.

Last night was the last straw. Yuki once again thought of giving Shuichi another chance to redeem himself. So he set a date between them. And he made sure that Shuichi knew that he'll be doing the cooking and that the night would turn out very special for the both of them. He even smiled and kissed his lover goodbye that day to show that there will be more good things to come. He thought for sure that Shuichi will remember this date and be decent enough to come home early or just in time for it.

Yuki went home early from work – he had an interview. He prepared the dishes whilst stopping himself from whistling a happy tune. He finished all dishes in time and prepared the table. He looked at the clock and noticed that it was quarter to 7 pm. He quickly showered and dressed himself in his best suit. And then he waited for his lover to return home. Fifteen minutes passed by 7 pm. Then thirty, and then an hour. Yuki realized gravely that Shuichi must've been tied up in work again.

Deeply sighing, Yuki decided to call NG corps to check on Shuichi. There was really only one person in NG Corps that Yuki would have the guts and the patience to call to. Seguchi Tohma. And so he dialed Tohma's number.

His sister's husband seemed very happy to have heard from him. He told Yuki that it was ages ago since he last heard from him. And then Tohma went on and on about how Yuki forgot all about them since he hooked up with Shuichi and other really nonsensical things. Yuki coughed to interrupt the other man.

Tohma's cheery voice switched to his cold professional one when Yuki had asked him if Shuichi was still around NG Corps. Tohma told him that Bad Luck was busy working on their sophomore album which he might add, had its deadline on the end of the month. And that, by the way, Aizawa Taki of ASK was also working with them tonight since Mr. K commissioned a collaboration between the two lead vocalists.

Yuki had barely managed to hold onto his temper as he properly thanked and bid Tohma goodbye. When he replaced the telephone down, he saw red. He will only admit this to himself now. That even if he won Shuichi's heart that day on that concert - he still had lingering doubts in the inner recesses of his heart that Shuichi might have made the wrong decision.

Yuki was insecure of Aizawa because he had more in common with Shuichi than him. Yuki was jealous of Aizawa because he gets to spend more time with Shuichi than him. In summary, Aizawa Taki and Shuichi in the same sentence almost always make him saw red. And then when the novelty of being angry had worn off, he'll be feeling green with envy. And when he was done feeling jealous, he'd be feeling depressed.

And then Yuki decided to just give up trying to understand. He needed to put his foot down. He needed to confront this problem with Shuichi. He needed to do it soon. Because if this goes on, he can't guarantee being amiable once again with Shuichi. His patience and understanding had been worn thin as it is. But he really wants to salvage whatever that is left between them.

After that conversation with Tohma, he suddenly lost the energy to try and wait for his lover to come home. He redressed to a more comfortable outfit before plopping down unabashedly on the bed. And then he thought of things he wanted to talk with Shuichi about – when he finally decides to return.

After pondering about their situation, he realized that their relationship was in bliss the first couple of months. Everyday since the concert had been a day to look forward too - because each new day brings new things to learn about Shuichi. He chuckled when he realized that their getting to know stage had been a bit late by proper standards.

And then, the relationship just spiraled down. Shuichi had more and more work to attend on as Bad Luck's popularity grew and grew. Yuki was also busy, being popular himself. Writing new novels, appearing every once in awhile in interview shows… But he never once lost time to spend with Shuichi. His lover on the other hand, didn't seem to be handling his time very well. And even though they live in the same house, they see each other so infrequently.

Yuki was still thinking about what to say to Shuichi when he heard some noises in the kitchen. He got up and stealthily sneaked on the intruder. He realized it was his lover going on about the house. He hid his presence at first. He wanted to see Shuichi's face without him knowing.

And then he sees it. Shuichi was feeling guilty by the looks of it. Yuki's overactive imagination, fueled by Tohma's unfortunate information about the collaboration, runs wild. Instead of interpreting the guilt as being that of forgetting the time of their date, it had been interpreted as being guilty because of the time he spent with Aizawa. And before Yuki had known it, he had transformed once again to his cold, unfeeling self. He decided to reveal himself to Shuichi then.

"So you finally decided to come home?" Were the words that left his mouth. Even Yuki had surprised himself at the coldness of his voice. After being so long with Shuichi and being so in love with the guy, he almost forgot that he had this personality. Needless to say it wasn't that difficult to switch back to his old mask. And that it wasn't that hard to hide the pain again.

Shuichi pleaded like mad with him, and no matter what his lover did, Yuki just can't seem to give in. Maybe Yuki realized that if he forgave Shuichi once again, he'd be in too deep. That he might never want to let Shuichi go.

Yuki realized that he was starting to feel possessive once again. And he didn't like this feeling. Not at all. Because the last time he didn't want to let go, he was left behind cruelly. Yuki knew he was on the verge of being hurt once again. And he didn't want to feel that helpless, useless and desperate once again. He's had enough of it. Enough of it.

So when Shuichi promised he'd spent the whole day with him tomorrow, he decided to work. Even if he didn't need to. He had to break this feeling of possessiveness and too much wanting of Shuichi. He didn't want another heartbreak. He better avoid it while still early.

But even Yuki knew that his counter measures were too late.

* * *

Shuichi hadn't slept a wink that night. And no, it wasn't because the couch was lumpy and uncomfortable. But because of the fact that he was stressed and feeling guilty after his fight with Yuki. And as far as he can tell, this had been the first real argument between the two of them… And Shuichi didn't have any idea on how to handle this problem.

They had petty fights before. Like how Yuki would get irritated at Shuichi who liked interrupt him during work or when Shuichi would snap at Yuki for being such a prissy at times. But it always ends up nicely. They would apologize to each other and then they'd kiss and make up. And more importantly, Yuki didn't turn cold on him, like this time around.

After tossing and turning for a couple of hours, Shuichi finally gave up trying to sleep. He decided to busy himself by doing house duty - such as washing the dishes left from the night before – while thinking of a way to make it up to Yuki.

He knew that a simple sorry wouldn't cut it. And even if he were to dedicate a whole day to spend with Yuki – like he promised the night before - it wouldn't nearly be enough. He knew he had hurt Yuki deeply by continuously putting him in the backseat. And it hurt him too to see Yuki acting that way. Even more so, because of the fact that Shuichi was the one who caused that pain.

After washing the dishes he collapsed back on the sofa and held back tears. He still didn't know what to do. Would he act all cheery tomorrow and act like nothing happened? Or would he abandon all pride and dignity to drop down to his knees and ask for forgiveness at Yuki's feet? Promising to make it up to Yuki wouldn't work, as he had his records against him… so Shuichi guessed that begging would be the best choice.

Shuichi lay on his back on the couch as the tears he was holding back fell from his eyes. He hiccupped for a bit trying while to get the hopelessness and the helplessness he felt out of his system. Once he felt lighter, he angrily swiped at his tears and vowed to himself that no matter what, he'll make it up to Yuki and that everything will be okay once again.

He'll do everything in his power to bring the Yuki he loved, back. He wouldn't dare surrender on the situation. No matter what the consequences, no matter what the actions that needed to be done, he'll do it. Because he loved Yuki so, so, so much that he wouldn't give him up without a fight.

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Shuichi must've dozed off, because next thing he knew the sun was hurting his eyes. He puts a hand over his eyes to protect it. Feeling annoyed at the damned rays of the sun for waking him up, he sat up and rubbed his eyes. He yawned and sat there without moving. It was, after all, still too early to start moving about.

And then with a jolt of realization, Shuichi bolted to his feet and smacked his forehead. He should've woken early and prepared some breakfast for Yuki! It wasn't much but it's a start, right? Shuichi rushed to the kitchen to prepare something. But he happened to pass by their bedroom.

Suddenly feeling curious, or rather, just wanting to see Yuki, Shuichi tiptoed close to the door and held his breath. He remembered that Yuki wasn't much of an early person and at this early hour, he'd still be in bed. He slowly placed his hand on the doorknob, twisted it carefully and softly pushed the door.

Still holding his breath, he stuck his head in. He glanced towards the direction of their bed and saw… that it hadn't been slept on. With a start, Shuichi pushed the door hard and barged inside. He looked around the room frantically and for a moment he swore his heart stopped breathing when he saw the empty dresser and the hangers discarded on the floor.

Shuichi laughed bitterly to himself. _Yuki would return home, right? He just left for work and needed some change of clothes that's all. He'll come back and_… Shuichi didn't finish that train of thought. He dropped down to his knees and started wailing his heart out.

t.b.c


	3. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Shuichi clutched the mug of beer harder as he tried his best not to cry out again – or to at least stop his lips from trembling too much. He just wanted to forget even for just a moment the hurt and hollow ache in his chest. So he decided to drown his sorrows in the Neon Lion by drinking.

Shuichi upped and downed the mug of beer in his hand and motioned for 'Teddy' the bartender to fill him another one. The bartender looked at him with pity in his eyes as he handed him another mug of beer. Shuichi looked away from those kind eyes.

"Buddy, you're drunk. That's the last one ok?" 'Teddy' said in a kind and soothing voice. Shuichi stuck a trembling lower lip at the guy and harrumphed. He's a big boy and if he wanted to forget his troubles by drowning himself in beer then he will!

A tear spilled unbidden from one eye. Shuichi quickly wiped them away and then tucked his head in his folded arms as his shoulders rocked because of his hiccups. He wasn't drunk enough! If he could still feel this pain and can still picture Yuki's blank face then, he definitely wasn't drunk enough!

He angrily sat back up and grabbed the mug of beer and downed it in one gulp. Wiping his lips, he started to feel angry. He wanted to blame someone, maybe Yuki, for putting him through such pain. Or maybe even 'Teddy' because he was refusing to let him drink all he want. But Shuichi knew that he can't put the blame on anyone. Because he knew that this mess was all his fault. It was his doing and now he's paying for it.

He stared at the various bottles of liquors lined at the bar of Neon Lion unseeingly. He wondered where Yuki might be. And even though Yuki has inadvertently added some burden to Shuichi by leaving without saying anything, Shuichi can't help but worry about his lover.

_Is he still angry? Has he eaten dinner yet? Is somebody there with him to console him? Is he thinking of leaving me for good?_ At that question to himself Shuichi burst into silent tears and sobs. He knew he looked pathetic but he was in too much pain to care.

He knew people were looking and pointing in his direction. They were probably saying: _Poor guy, he got dumped by a girlfriend._ Shuichi sniffled loudly as he smiled darkly to himself. _Nope, I got dumped by a _boy_friend_. He made a mad snatch for his beer mug and found that it was empty. He looked at the bar and noticed that this nosy bartender 'Teddy' was currently at the other end. He quickly flagged down the other one.

This bartender's name was 'Mikey' and he looked like he didn't care whether he got smashed or not. He beckoned 'Mikey' closer and whispered furiously.

"Hey, I got money and I'm willing to give you all the yen I have in my pocket if you let me get smashed." Shuichi said this in a slightly slurry voice. 'Mikey' looked at him dubiously. Shuichi sighed as he reached for his pocket, retrieved all the yen he got and slapped it in the counter. The middle-30's bartender with the bored look on his face counted the money and when finished counting, grinned widely and indulgently.

"Bottom's up then, buddy!" Shuichi gave a thumbs up sign, a sure sign that he'd been hanging around with Mr. K too much, and smiled drunkenly.

"Bring it on."

* * *

Shuichi smiled to himself as he felt his head start to float. He had begun to feel numb and he can barely see or hear all the commotion happening around him. Everything was starting to go hazy and dark. He giggled happily as he rubbed his cheek on the cold surface of the mug. This is what he calls the good life. Just him and his mug of beer existing in his happy place.

'Mikey' the bartender had been his best friend for the past two hours. Because he's been giving him beer upon mug of beer on that length of time. And he didn't complain or nag at him. Not even once. Not like that nosy guy 'Teddy' who likes to stick his nose into other people's business! _Bah. He's such a prude_. Shuichi thought to himself as he sloppily waved a hand at his best friend 'Mikey'.

He was about to enjoy his drink when he felt a hand on his shoulder. When he looked up he saw a guy with chin length brown hair and green eyes looking at him with interest. He smiled when his vision of the guy split into two.

"You're that guy from Bad Luck right? Shindou Shuichi?" Shuichi's head bobbed up and down as he pointed a forefinger in his chest.

"Yup! That's me! Shindou Shuichi!" Shuichi answered proudly and rather loudly. And because he was so buzzed, he didn't even realize the repercussions of announcing that he was a celebrity in a seedy bar.

Heads turned in their direction. And when they confirmed that yes, he was indeed Shindou Shuichi, they started whispering among themselves. A few looked like they wanted to come over and talk to the vocalist of Bad Luck but stopped short when they noticed the brown haired guy standing next to him with a dark scowl on his face, as if challenging those who would dare come over.

"So you want an autograph?" Shuichi asked the guy in a slurred voice. The guy shook his head. Shuichi looked at him with narrowed eyes for awhile and then lost interest. A drunk Shuichi equals a much shorter attention span.

"By the way, I'm Terrence." The guy said as he sat on the stool next to Shuichi. Shuichi didn't acknowledge him. Instead he started to stare at the colorful bottles of liquor in front of him, like it was the most interesting thing in the world. Terrence's eyes twitched madly but he kept his cool.

"Looks like you got dumped by… Yuki Eiri, wasn't it?" Shuichi looked at him sideways and scowled. Terrence just smiled. Shuichi snorted through his nose as he diverted his attention back to his neglected mug. When the guy realized that he had been ignored once again, he decided to make a blunt move.

"Why don't…" Terrence hand suddenly appeared out of nowhere and had started to wander at the small of Shuichi's back. The vocalist of Bad Luck didn't even flinch at the invading touch. He just continued drinking little sips from his mug.

"…You and I play around in private?" Terrence's hand trailed down to Shuichi's behind and copped a feel. Shuichi merely slapped his hand away and proceeded to stare at the colorful bottles once again. Terrence got pissed at that and stood up.

"You…!" He grabbed the front of Shuichi's shirt and hauled him to his feet. Shuichi just looked at him blankly as he clutched the hand holding him up.

"Dude. I am not interested… Okay?" He said in a somber manner that makes you wonder if he's really drunk. Terrence reached his limit.

"What's so good about this Yuki Eiri anyway! He's a bastard right? And don't you watch the news? He's got numerous girls on the side!"

"I bet you he doesn't even care about you! He's such a cold hearted prick that likes to play with other people's feelings! And he's…" Terrence didn't finish that sentence because a solid blow to his nose interrupted him.

All chaos broke loose when Terrence got his senses back and started throwing punches on his own.

* * *

Mr. K was very rudely woken up from a very nice dream. He dreamt he was king of the world and had just beaten Tohma at one of their bets. Their dear Mr. President was about to kneel before him, ready to acknowledge his greatness when his cell phone rang loudly. He shot up angrily and blearily glared at the wall.

Mr. K swore that if this call was just a prank call, then somebody will have to get hurt. He snatched the still loudly ringing phone, flipped it over and answered irritably.

"Mr. K here. And this better be important!"

"Mr. K! This is Sakano. I need you here in the Neon Lion. Pronto!" Mr. K frowned as he tried to process what he had been told. The Neon Lion? Wasn't it a seedy club somewhere south of NG Corps? And what the hell was Mr. _Timid_ Producer doing there? He just didn't fit the image.

"Mr. K? Mr. K? Are you still there? Did you hear me? I need you…" Mr. Producer did not sound drunk or whatever so Mr. K can only assume that one of their charges was the culprit.

"Yeah, yeah. I got you. So spill. What's the problem?" Mr. K asked calmly as he stood up and gathered his scattered clothes on the floor hurriedly. He put the phone between his ear and the crook of his shoulder as he pulled on his pants.

"Shuichi got into a bar fight and the media people are starting to swarm the place! I need you here for damage control!" Mr. Producer shrieked into the phone wildly. Mr. K heard some tiny, slurry voice through the phone. He sighed.

"You got Shuichi?"

"Yeah, he's here with me. But the people at the Neon Lion would sure gab to the reporters about this one… This will not be good publicity for Bad Luck's album…" He can hear the nervousness in the other man's voice and sighed for the second time. Why the hell did he have to manage Bad Luck again? Oh yeah… He volunteered. Damn.

"Fine. I'll go there and snap some mouths shut. But I can't promise to entirely keep this quiet!"

"I know, Mr. K." Mr. Producer said tiredly. Mr. K narrowed his eyes as he fixed his tie. He's not in the best mood to act amiable towards the reporters or the people who needed to have their mouths sealed. Guess he'd have to make do with the blackmailing stuff. Not that's it a bad idea. Blackmails were always fun anyway.

"Mr. Producer, make sure that Shuichi does not get away from you. After I fix this, I'll have his hide!" He threatened somewhat darkly as he severed the connection. Tucking in his shirt, he looked at his mirror, pulled his shoulders back and gave his image a thumbs up sign. _Time for some action_.

* * *

Sakano-san brought Shuichi to Hiro-kun's house when his charge had drunkenly asked that please, don't bring him back to that 'lonely house'. Sakano-san was a bit confused at that but he relented to Shuichi's begging. He can't deny Shuichi anything. Not when his eyes are all watery, sad and tinged with hopelessness. So he brought him to a place where he knew he would be taken care of. Hiro-kun's house.

When Sakano-san arrived at Hiro-kun's it was Fujisaki-kun who answered the door. And he was not looking too happy at the idea of having a guest at such a late time. Or such an early hour. Whatever way you wanted to put it. He was about to lash out, but stopped short when he noticed that it was the kind Sakano-san in front of his boyfriend's doorstep. And that said boyfriend's best friend was hanging off Sakano-san's shoulders in drunken slumber.

"What happened?" He asked worriedly as he helped Sakano-san carry Shuichi into the apartment.

"He got into a bar fight. And if my memory serves me right, he sent three grown men to the hospital for minor cuts and bruises - and broken noses." Sakano-san sighed as they had finally put Shuichi down on the couch. Fujisaki nodded as he rushed to the kitchen to get towels and a basin of cold water.

Hiro who had just gotten out of the shower stopped short when he noticed his best buddy on the couch completely washed out.

"Holy cow! What happened to him?" Hiro asked as he rushed to Shuichi's side to kneel beside him. He brushed a stray hair from Shuichi's eyes as he assessed the damage done. He raked his eyes over Shuichi's body and found out that except for a nasty bruise in his right cheek and multiple little cuts on his upper arm, he was fine.

"Got into a bar fight." Sakano-san answered tiredly as he removed his glasses. Hiro nodded and stood up.

"How'd you find out about this?" He asked, wanting to get to the bottom of this. Sakano-san sighed and motioned for Hiro-kun to sit at the table. Hiro followed the silent order and when Hiro-kun was seated, Mr. Producer followed suit.

"I had a contact at the Neon Lion and they told me that Shuichi was there and was primed to get himself smashed." He paused to wipe his glasses.

"I decided to go there when I learned that he was alone. When I got there, he was already finishing the fight."

"Did you find out what happened?"

"Yes. It seems that the guy recognized him as Shindou Shuichi. Teddy told me that this guy tried to cop a feel off Shuichi and made lewd comments."

"Bastard…" Hiro-kun growled to himself. Sakano-san pretended he did not hear it and ploughed on ahead.

"Shuichi didn't even flinch to whatever the guy was doing to him and apparently, the guy got pissed because he was ignored."

"So what did he do? How'd he provoke Shuichi?"

"Well, it seems that the guy is a gossip because he knew about Yuki and Shuichi…"

"And…?"

"He told Shuichi that he was probably drinking his guts out because he got dumped by Yuki Eiri."

"He got angry because of that?" Hiro asked as his brows knitted together in concentration. Sakano-san shook his head slowly.

"No. what got Shuichi was when the guy started to diss Yuki big time."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, for one the guy said that Yuki Eiri was such a dickhead for picking Shuichi. That he was probably the most bastard person on the face of the earth because of what he'd reduced Shuichi too… That kind of stuff…" Sakano-san said as he replaced the glasses on his face and looked at Shuichi sadly.

"That guy…" Hiro whispered to himself as he felt some sort of admiration to Shuichi. Trust his buddy to be defensive for Yuki, when he himself was suffering because of said bastard.

Fujisaki reappeared with the towel and the basin of cold water in his hands. Sakano-san and Hiro-kun could only watch as Fujisaki started attending to Shuichi.

* * *

Mr. K had come to Hiro-kun's house in a very bad mood. He was stomping through his way loudly and had such a dark scowl pasted on his face. The three people awake in the house kept to themselves and did not dare utter a word for fear of their lives. A touchy Mr. K is a touchy murderer-slash-lunatic on the loose.

They watched as Mr. K paced in front of the couch Shuichi was sleeping on. Every once in awhile he would look at his sleeping charge and would shake his head furiously. After fifteen minutes of pacing, Mr. K finally tired of it. He narrowed his eyes at the other three people in the room with him.

"Even though I did my best, I couldn't contain this mess from coming out." He said through gritted teeth. Sakano-san, Hiro-kun and Fujisaki-kun knew that Mr. K wasn't mad because the news about this mess was coming out. He was mad because he couldn't do anything about it.

"What do you mean?" Sakano-san asked nervously.

"What I mean is that some lucky person had a handy cam in hand and took such a lovely picture of Shuichi in all his drunken glory! And get this… He even managed to capture Shuichi taking a swing at some random guy!" Mr. K said this in a booming voice. He was really barely suppressing his anger.

"Uh, can't you, uhm… You know blackmail him or something?" Fujisaki interjected timidly. Mr. K suddenly roared making the three of them jump out of their skins.

"It's not that I can't! I almost made the guy piss in his pants from scaring him!"

"Uh… So what happened then?" Hiro asked as calmly and as soothingly as he could.

"He already sold it to a goddamn freaking talk show! They'll be airing it tomorrow!"

"What! But… But…. Bad publicity…." Sakano-san could barely express himself. He suddenly felt like collapsing. Bad Luck's sophomore album…. What would become of it after this! And after all the hard work Bad Luck had put into making it!

"Can't you ask the show to withdraw that item? Can't you do something?" Hiro asked frantically as the three of them forgot that they should be walking on eggshells around Mr. K and started worrying too.

"I couldn't dig any bad info about the producer or to whomever important person on the show! They're clean! Grrr… And I can't exactly point my trusty magnums on them… They'd probably put me on the show too for harassment or whatever!"

"What should we do?" Fujisaki-kun asked as he looked worriedly at the sleeping form of Shuichi. For sure, this would add to the burden their vocalist was carrying. It would definitely take its toll.

"We should calm down and think about this properly." Mr. Producer suggested as he calmed himself down and motioned for Mr. K, Hiro and Fujisaki to join him at the table, making it a make shift meeting area.

When the four of them had settled in, drank the tea that Fujisaki had served them, they started to brain storm.

"We could dig for more info on the bosses of the show. They are in the show business… They couldn't be _that_ clean." Mr. Producer said logically.

"Even if we find any useful info, it would be too late. The show would is slotted in mid morning. By the time we get our act together they would be finished airing it." Mr. K shot that suggestion down.

"How about denying it?" Fujisaki ventured.

"No. It was a very clear shot of Shuichi… We couldn't deny it."

"Why don't we just keep silent? I mean, this news would have to eventually die down…" Hiro put in.

"When the time comes for it to die down, Bad Luck would be replaced by some unknown other group."

"Ugh… What else is there to do!" Mr. Producer asked to no one in particular as he clutched his head in frustration. Meanwhile Mr. K was having a thoughtful look on his face.

"What if we use this bad publicity and turn it to a good one?"

"What do you mean?"

"We can't deny the pictures. Shuichi was caught completely throwing a punch at another guy… But if we put a sob story behind it… People will act all patronizing towards Shuichi. They'd feel sorry…" Mr. K said as he drove the point home by making wild hand gestures.

"What kind of sob story will we put behind it?"

"Let's just say that the reason why Shuichi is getting himself ass drunk is because he caught his lover having an affair with another man… And that Shuichi caught them in the act on their bed."

"But we would be involving Yuki Eiri and we'll be giving him a bad image. And we are not sure yet if that's the case." Fujisaki-kun said diplomatically. And besides, the idea did not sit well with him. Do they really have to destroy another person's privacy and image for their own good?

"We have no choice. Or do you have any more ideas?" Mr. K challenged. When no one presented a new idea, he grinned smugly.

"See, I told you." He said proudly. The four of them paused as if trying to get used to the idea of putting another person down.

"But how will we explain how Shindou-san got into the fight?" Fujisaki-kun asked, suddenly feeling so tired. Even if Yuki cheated on Shuichi that wouldn't explain why he got into the fight right?

"We'll use the true version."

"What true version?"

"That a guy copped a feel and made lewd comments. And that he didn't back down even when Shuichi asked him to stop and that the guy threw the first punch. Shuichi would have no choice then but to fight back right?" Mr. K said convincingly.

"So do we agree on this plan?" Mr. K asked after a pregnant pause. Thinking that there was no other way, the three nodded.

"Good. Hiro-kun you'll be our spokesperson for tomorrow. I need you to act all protective of Shuichi, okay? If you can, act like you really blame Yuki on what happened to Shuichi." Hiro-kun nodded solemnly as if resigning himself into doing this task.

"I'll help you later on, on what things to say on certain questions." Mr. K then turned to Mr. Producer.

"We need to get Shuichi into the hospital."

"What! But he's fine."

"We need him there so that there'll be more pity. So that it looks like he's the one who suffered most from the fight. I don't want him to look all macho because he defeated them all." Mr. K said as he put a hand to his chin, thinking briefly. Fujisaki sighed. When Mr. K gets into planning battle mode it's hard to get a word in.

"And then, we'll say that he's depressed because he's being cheated on by Yuki and will be unavailable for comments. Yes, that's it. That way they wouldn't be able to get a hold of Shuichi." Mr. K ranted more to himself than to them. Mr. Producer waved a hand in front of him to get his attention.

"But what if they took the accounts of the people present in the bar? Their testimonies would totally clash with what we wanted it to be..."

"Duh. I'm on my way to fix that up. Don't worry. I have my hands on it." Mr. K pulled his trench coat back into his frame as he started to get out.

"Oh Hiro-kun? Come with me." Hiro-kun nodded and stood up to get his own coat. Mr. K strutted his way towards the door and just as he was to go out, he turned to Mr. Producer for some last minute orders.

"Mr. Producer, Fujisaki-kun, tidy Shuichi up and get him to the nearest hospital. Bully yourself in and then I'll handle the rest when I come there, go it?" Mr. K waited for Hiro to come out before shutting the door behind them.

Fujisaki and Sakano-san looked at each other. Seems like they were back in the show business.

* * *

A/N: Hey, guys! Sorry it took me long to get this chap out, but I've been busy! I have three case studies and to top it all, I have to work on my thesis! Grrr… school has been ruling over my time, and I do not like it one bit! (sighs)

Anyway, I'll still be writing if I have spare time or if I get lazy working on my school stuff... Hehehe… so expect the chaps to come out irregularly. So please be patient with me!

bLaCkfaia-nEkO – Hahaha… can't make up your mind who to pity more? (grins) anyway, another conflict's come up! Hope you like this chap!

StupidPinkBaka – Yuki didn't appear in this chap yet so you have to find out on the next one if he really left! (evil grin)

Mirra – thanks for the review! Here's the next chap! Hope you like it.

Clari-chan – awww… sorry I didn't update fast enough! But hey, I tried to make this chap as long as possible! (authoress waits nervously for clari-chan's reaction) So is it long enough? (smiles)

SilverTenshi44 – hmmm… am not sure if Yuki went to the laundry… haven't seen him around there! Hehehe… don't worry about the YuShu break up! They'll end up back together… Eventually!


	4. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Yuki didn't know where to go. He only knew that he needed some space. He needed some time alone. He needed to ponder about and reevaluate his and Shuichi's relationship. Yuki didn't think he could do that in peace if Shuichi was near him. He wouldn't be able to think objectively… In fact, he wouldn't be able to think at all.

Being near Shuichi made Yuki irrational and rash. Like what he did just now. Because of the spat they just had, he left without even saying anything to his lover. He knew perfectly well that Shuichi was a nag and a worrywart. If Shuichi didn't know where he was, he'd worry and assume the worst. But did he even stop and be considerate before running away? No, of course not. He was mad at Shuichi and the only thing consuming his mind was his anger and the need to get away.

If it was any other being except for Shuichi, Yuki wouldn't give a damn. In fact, he wouldn't have gotten into the argument at all. Instead he would throw that person out of his house and out of his life. It's as simple as one, two and three. But this was Shuichi we were talking about. He was the one who melted Yuki's ice of a heart. So instead of Yuki doing the kicking out, he's the one who ran away.

Yuki sighed as he combed his hand through his hair. Where to go? He should've thought first of a destination before he left. But no, he had to be brash and left without so much as a thought. He looked at his surroundings and saw that he was at the park near his apartment. He took a seat in one of the benches, to think where he should spend the night.

Yuki got a cigarette out of his pocket and lit it. He tilted his head up and gazed at the stars that hung at the black sky. He wondered what Shuichi was doing. When he left, the vocalist of Bad Luck had been dozing fitfully at their couch, looking distressed even in his sleep. Yuki had the urge to just forgive Shuichi but his pride and ego made him stop.

The novelist frowned to himself as he recounted every little thing that added up to his anger at Shuichi. Well, being the proud person that he was, he really couldn't stand being stood up at dates. There were occasions were Shuichi bailed out early so he didn't have to wait. But there were times where he would look like a fool waiting for Shuichi who wouldn't turn up.

The tardiness he can handle. Being in the show business himself, he knew how easy a schedule can be ruined. But being late for about an hour? Well, he was no fucking saint to not be at least irritated right? Yuki took a long drag out of his cigarette as his nerves got worked up.

As he exhaled the last of the smoke, he took a deep, calming breath. And Yuki, being in love as he was with Shuichi, forgave him time and again. Yuki surprised himself with this. If he was his normal self, once slip up was enough. He would've made even with that person and if he really was pissed, he would've given that person a rude little parting gift.

But alas, Shuichi changed him. His lover would only give him a big apologetic smile and then he'd crumble. If Yuki was really pissed, Shuichi would turn on the lost puppy dog look and the water works. And when the novelist saw tears, his heart immediately softens and he forgives Shuichi.

But tonight was different. Yuki had finally had enough. Or maybe, Yuki contemplated, he was just raging jealous. He realized just now that he really wasn't as angry with Shuichi when he found out that the vocalist of Bad Luck had spent the night collaborating with Aizawa Taki. When he found out about that escapade, his tempers flared up and his insecurities came to surface.

Yuki bristled to himself when he thought of Aizawa Taki. That man really was the bane of his existence. He wouldn't admit this aloud but he really was insecure with the vocalist of ASK. He couldn't help but feel incompatible with Shuichi when he knew that those two were more alike that he and Shuichi were. He was afraid that maybe Shuichi made the wrong choice in the concert and that any minute now he'd change his mind and come running to Aizawa.

Yuki sighed as he brought a hand to massage his temples. He had a big headache going on and he needed some good, long, dreamless sleep. He made a snap decision to stay with Tatsuha.

His ototo, who had been living in Kyoto, had moved in town. He had a place near NG Corps where he claims was the best place ever. Yuki surmised it was because of the fact that he got to be near his Sakuma-san at most times. Sakuma had the tendency to just stay at Tatsuha's place since it was near his place of work. On the other hand, his ototo claims that Sakuma does this because the vocalist of Nittle Grasper just wanted to be with him.

His ototo had specifically told him not to visit him at weekends because this was the time when Sakuma frequents him. Well tough luck for Tatsuha. Yuki needed a place to stay and it so happens that he suddenly fancied staying at his ototo's. And besides, Yuki thought to himself, its pay back for all the times when his ototo dropped in at his place without an invitation.

* * *

Shuichi woke up fine. He was disoriented and confused, but he figured that it was normal. After all, he drunk himself silly last night and a hangover was expected. But then Shuichi started to feel his temper rise. 

Firstly, he realized that his head was pounding so bad he thought that at any moment now, it will break in half. Secondly, his arms felt like it was feasted and pinched upon by a couple hundred of teenage girls. And lastly - and this one ticking him off the most - was that he had straps holding him tight against the bed. In fact, the straps were held on tight that Shuichi couldn't even move an inch.

Scrunching up his face in anger, he looked around the room. He realized that he didn't know where he was. Last he remembered was Teddy the bartender saying him that enough is enough. Other than that… No, Shuichi can't remember a single, damn thing.

Shuichi's eyes landed on the white ceiling. Funny. The bar didn't have a white ceiling. In fact, the bar didn't contain any white paint or coloring or anything white whatsoever. So where was he? Shuichi turned his head to the side and found himself facing a huge bouquet of flowers at the bedside. He narrowed his eyes at the card hanging precariously at one of the flowers.

"Do you like it, Shu?" The vocalist of Bad Luck would've jumped off the bed if he could, he was that startled. He turned his head on the other side and found Hiro-kun sitting at his bedside.

"How come I didn't notice you?" Shuichi asked in a slightly slurry voice. He heard Hiro-kun chuckle and that made his pounding head suffer more.

"Could you turn your voice level down a notch? I'm suffering in here…" He whined. Shuichi wanted to put his hands in his head but realized, for the second time since he awoke that he was immobilized.

"And what the hell! Why do you have me strapped in here!" Shuichi demanded angrily as he struggled against his binds. And even though his own voice added to his headache, he ignored it. He wanted out, damn it!

Hiro-kun sighed as he watched his best friend struggle clumsily about. Mr. K had ordered the nurses to do that to Shuichi because their manager had foreseen that Shuichi would try to get out of the hospital as soon as possible. Mr. K didn't want that to happen as they had to hide Shuichi from prying eyes and to avoid the reporters from getting any comments from Shuichi. Their plan would fail if Shuichi had a hand in it.

"Shuichi, calm down!" Hiro-kun said to Shuichi in a loud voice. If he didn't raise his voice, it would be lost to Shuichi's ears as his whining was getting louder by the minute.

Shuichi must still be out of it, because next thing Hiro knew his best friend stopped struggling and looked up at him with his signature puppy dog eyes.

"Release me?" He asked in a tinny, tiny voice at Hiro. Hiro shook his head as he sat back down on his chair.

"Can't Shuichi, Mr. K ordered it." Shuichi looked like he was about to retort but stopped short. Hiro then noticed his friend scrunching up his forehead as if he was thinking very deeply about something.

"Hey, what happened last night? Can't remember anything after the twentieth bottle…" Hiro winced when he heard the twentieth bottle. Was Shuichi that desperate yesterday? What in the world happened to him?

"Well, Sakano-san says you were in the Neon Lion determined to get smashed." Shuichi nodded.

"That I know." He said in lost voice. His eyes took on a faraway look as Shuichi suddenly remembered the reason behind his drinking. Yuki. Where is he right now? Shuichi asked himself as he tried to focus on Hiro.

"Then?"

"Well, you got into a bar fight. With at least 5 guys. You sent them all in the hospital…"

"I'm at the hospital too?" Shuichi asked when the white ceilings and the flowers on the bedside thing were remembered.

"Yep, but don't worry. You're fine."

"So why am I here?" Shuichi asked confused.

"Well, it will be bad publicity for us. Our sophomore album's about to come up and we don't need this crap about you starting a fight in a club…"

"But…"

"Shush, Shuichi. You knew you messed up so don't try to cover it up." Shuichi shut up after that. Hiro crossed his arms over his chest as he looked down at Shuichi who was looking like a dog kicked.

"So anyway, for the reason why you're here… Mr. K and us had to clean up your mess and we need you to stay put in here."

"Why?"

"As Mr. K said it wouldn't do good if you walked out of the hospital fine and you're victims are all bandaged up or something."

"So I can get out of here once you're done cleaning up?" Shuichi asked solemnly. Hiro nodded.

"Yup. So try and behave yourself here alright? I'll get you out of here as soon as I can."

"Okay." Shuichi answered off handedly. He was already in his own world thinking about Yuki and other Yuki related stuff. While he was confined in here, he decided that thinking of various ways to make it up to Yuki and how he can convince the novelist to forgive him seemed like a good idea.

Hiro looked at the slack Shuichi on the bed and started to feel the guilt creep up his senses. He didn't purposely ask Shuichi about Yuki because he knew that it would set his best friend off. And he wasn't really in the mood to see Shuichi's genuine tears of sorrow at his apparent 'misunderstanding' with Yuki. It just breaks Hiro's heart whenever Shuichi breaks down like that.

Another source of his guilt was the crime he was about to do. For sure, this damage control they were about to enforce would drive the two further apart. He just wished that Shuichi would forgive them after all of this is over.

"Shuichi, I'm going to go now. Me and Fujisaki had an interview to attend. But I'll get back to you, alright?"

"Sure." Shuichi answered distractedly. Hiro nodded to himself. He stood up and made his way out. Before he shut the door behind him, he gave one last look at Shuichi who had resumed to staring at the ceiling.

* * *

Tatsuha was more accommodating than Yuki had thought. The minute he had appeared at his ototo's door, Tatsuha had grabbed his wrist and dragged him inside the house. Yuki was surprised at his brother. Not only was he accommodating, his house was also clean! His apartment was spotless and organized. Yuki had envisioned Tatsuha's house to be more bachelor type. You know with the clothes-on-the-floor is a normal thing? 

Tatsuha settled him on the table in his kitchen. After practically forcing him to sit on one of the chairs, his ototo started to rattle on and on about how great it is to be with Sakuma-san. And that, by the way, Yuki had the greatest timing ever because Sakuma-san is out on a road trip with Seguchi-san. Because if Sakuma-san was here, Yuki would have to look elsewhere for shelter.

He then continued to regale Yuki with various stories about Sakuma-san. How his idol willingly shares Kumagoro with him at night and the little gestures such as pecks in his cheek when Sakuma would have to go. Yuki tried in vain to listen to his brother but after five minutes of listening he tired. One can only go so far as to listen to Tatsuha's sickeningly sweet stories of Sakuma-san.

"Are you even listening to me?" Tatsuha griped as he noticed his brother staring blankly at something behind his back. He stomped forward, put his hands on his hips and glared at his brother.

"What happened to you?" He asked as he gestured at Yuki's bags that lay forgotten on his feet. Yuki looked up at Tatsuha and gave a little devil's grin.

"Oh no. You can't stay here for long! You'll only disturb me and Sakuma-san!" Tatsuha shook his head wildly as he got wind of what his brother wanted to say. He then started to haul Yuki's luggage from his kitchen floor.

"Tatsuha, I'm going to stay here and that's final."

"Who are you to…"

"If you don't I'm going to tell our father that you are not enrolled in the school you say you are enrolled in and you're just being a bum in here." Tatsuha stopped at Yuki's words. He dropped the luggage he had been carrying and turned at his aniki with wide eyes.

"You will not!" He squeaked. Yuki just smirked, lay back on his chair and grinned smugly.

"Oh yes I will. So just welcome me with open arms and I'll forget about the whole ratting-on-you portion, alright?" Tatsuha grumbled.

"Fine, fine. Where'd you learn to be such an asshole?" Tatsuha griped as he sat down opposite Yuki and pouted.

"You lived with me for about a month. I was bound to be an asshole…" Yuki smirked at his ototo triumphantly. Tatsuha just snorted in reply. After about a minute of staring down at each other, Tatsuha came to a realization.

"Hey, why are you looking for a place to stay anyway! Shuichi threw you out?" Tatsuha asked his curiosity getting the better of him. Yuki sighed as he got another cigarette out of his pocket. Ever since his and Shuichi's relationship started to get rocky, his smoking tendencies had worsened.

"No. I threw myself out." Yuki said flatly as he inhaled some precious but deadly smoke.

"What! Whooo… That's a first." Tatsuha commented to himself as he put a hand to his chin.

"So did you two have a fight or something?" Tatsuha prodded his brother who seemed like he didn't want to talk about it anymore. Well, tough luck. Tatsuha didn't have any means of entertaining himself tonight so his brother's love woes would have to do.

Yuki sighed deeply as he threw the ashes of his cigarette on the table top. Tatsuha winced at his actions but stopped himself short of lashing at his aniki. He wanted gossip and he wouldn't be able to get it if he got Yuki pissed off.

"We had an argument." Yuki mumbled so lowly that Tatsuha almost didn't hear it. Tatsuha frowned. He knew that Yuki had been minding Shuichi's lateness and date stand-ups but Tatsuha thought it was only a minor scuffle. After all, Yuki would always forgive Shuichi and they'd be all lovey-dovey once again. Tatsuha surmised that there was more to it than just that.

"What did you to fight about? Did Shuichi stood you up again or something?" Tatsuha asked with his brows knitted together. The last time he saw his brother flaming mad at Shuichi was the time when the vocalist of Bad Luck set up a date between them and forgot all about it. Yuki had to wait for about 2 hours before finally giving up. He was so pissed that he ranted nonstop to his ototo about it. Tatsuha had thought at that time that maybe Shuichi had gone too far. He had thought that it was finally over.

But as he was proven wrong time and again, the two got back together in less than 2 days time. All it took was a sincere apology and a promise of a whole day to spend together with no interruptions to make Yuki forgive Shuichi.

"Nothing." Yuki mumbled to himself.

"It couldn't be 'nothing' aniki! If it was nothing you wouldn't be here." Tatsuha said exasperatedly.

"Shuichi was late again."

"And so? I thought you were getting used to it?"

"Getting used to it doesn't mean that its right." Yuki grumbled. Tatsuha stopped. He's got a point there.

"You're right. But that doesn't explain why you packed all your bags and…" Tatsuha was cut off when he noticed that Yuki had a glazed look on his face and that he wasn't really listening to Tatsuha.

"He spent his night with Aizawa. That's why he forgot all about our meeting." Yuki said in a suddenly cold voice. Tatsuha realized that his brother was trying vainly to put up his emotional barriers. Much as Shuichi had changed him, his brother still didn't like to show weakness to other people.

"But aniki… Had you spoken with Shuichi? Why he had been with Aizawa?"

"Mr. K said they were collaborating for a song…" Yuki said as he trailed off. He realized that talking with his ototo about it, made his head clear. It made him sort out his feelings and his thoughts. Maybe he had been too brash? Shuichi was working… It was just a professional meeting… Yuki vaguely heard Tatsuha snort.

"Aniki, you prick! You went jealous, did you!" Yuki looked at his ototo with narrowed eyes. What's the matter with being jealous! Shuichi had spent more time with Aizawa than he did with him! Of course, he was bound to be jealous! And besides, he was scared that will all the time Shuichi spends with that Aizawa…

Yuki hid the shudder that went through him at the thought of Shuichi leaving him for Aizawa. He can't take being left behind, so had he unconsciously done the leaving so that it would save him the heart break? Yuki pondered about this. Maybe he did.

Tatsuha sighed as he saw the conflicting emotions passing through his brother's eyes. He was really not used to seeing his brother like this. He was used to Yuki not giving a damn about relations and his other past partners. He was glad that Yuki had met Shuichi because he brought out emotions out of Yuki like no one can. But on the other hand, he was a little bit miffed at Shuichi for hurting his brother like this. He was the only one who made the confident and proud Yuki to be insecure.

"Aniki…" Tatsuha started slowly as he thought of the right thing to say. Based on his observations, he could conclude that what his brother needed was some reassurance. Suffering from lack of time to spend with Shuichi and all that had made him insecure. Since this was all new to his brother, Yuki should be reassured time and again, that he still held the top place in Shuichi's heart.

"I know Shuichi still loves you…"

"I don't know about that." Yuki spat angrily.

"Well I do. He wouldn't pick you at the concert if he felt otherwise, right?"

"He could've make a mistake. And he's correcting it right now."

"Oh don't be stubborn! If he changed his mind do you think he'd still go home to you everyday?" Yuki kept quiet. He didn't have any come back to that. Tatsuha held back a smile.

"And if he doesn't love you, do you think he'd apologize to you after every mistake he made?" Yuki twitched at that. Tatsuha had the ball rolling.

"And remember the time where you blew your top off? He was so panicked that he almost kneeled at your feet to have you forgive him?" Yuki turned his head so that he was not looking at Tatsuha. His ototo sighed and dropped the litany.

"Look aniki. Why don't you give this another chance? Talk with him long and hard about your insecurities… I know Shuichi will understand." Yuki looked at him in the eye. Tatsuha can see under the wall of uncaring façade, his brother was worried.

"And if he doesn't?" Tatsuha gave him a big, brave smile.

"He will. Believe me. And if he doesn't…" Yuki looked at his ototo as Tatsuha lifted the sleeve of his shirt to show his bicep.

"I'll have his hide!" Yuki's blank face broke for a minute to show gratitude at his ototo's loyalty towards him. And just as about Tatsuha was to return that smile, Yuki smirked.

"As if anyone will be afraid of you." Tatsuha looked at his brother with surprised, wide eyes. The prick! And after all that sappy stuff he said…

"Why you…!" And with Tatsuha tackled Yuki to the ground with his supposed 'brutal' strength.

* * *

Yuki had just finished taking his bath when he heard the front door open and close with a loud bang. He shrugged his shoulders to show indifference. It was normal in this household. Tatsuha _and_ Sakuma live here so this kind of occurrence was anything but unusual. 

"Turn the TV on! Shuichi's in the news, na no da!" He heard the childish voice of Sakuma say. He heard much stomping of feet as Tatsuha hurried to turn the TV on. Curious as to what kind of news Shuichi was in, he went to the living room where he saw his two other housemates glued in front of the television.

Yuki turned his eyes on the screen and saw Fujisaki and Hiro being interviewed by the host. Hiro was looking very angry, while Fujisaki was looking teary eyed. Shuichi was nowhere to be found. Yuki felt his heart began to hammer. Did something happen to Shuichi! He knew it. He shouldn't have left without saying anything to him…

"How is Shuichi?" The host asked Fujisaki.

"For the moment he's fine. But his injuries look bad…" Fujisaki said haltingly on his mic as Hiro patted his back gently. Yuki knew it! If something happened to Shuichi… Yuki then turned to his ototo to ask him the details.

"What happened to Shuichi?" Yuki asked in a sharp, commanding voice. Sakuma looked back at him with worried eyes.

"Shu got into a bar fight na no da! He had to fight five big men na no da!"

"What!" Yuki was about to ask who they were at what hospital Shuichi is in when Tatsuha shushed him.

"Sssh! They're going to say why he got into the fight…"

"If it wasn't for that bastard… Shuichi wouldn't have been in that bar in the first place!" Hiro said angrily as he clutched the mic hard in his right hand. He looked directly into the camera, his eyes all alight.

"Even after being duped badly by him, cheated on… Shuichi still loved the bastard! That's why he got into the fight!"

"So the reason is…?"

"He didn't like to hear his love's name being trashed, so he fought." Fujisaki interjected sadly. Hiro shook his head angrily.

"I swear if I ever get my hands on Yuki Eiri… he's toast!" Hiro whispered vehemently into the mic. Yuki looked at the screen and the proceedings with wide eyes. But after each answer, he started to feel angry. He cheated on Shuichi! He duped him! He was simmering with so much fury that he wanted to take someone on.

Tatsuha looked at his brother a little worriedly. He had a bad feeling about the interview. He didn't like it himself. He knew it was all bull. When he saw his brother's face, he felt cold. Shuichi had pulled the last straw. He wouldn't be surprised if his brother comes back to being the cold, unfeeling bastard he once was.

t.b.c

* * *

A/N: Hey, here's chap 3! Hahaha... got into a bit of a writer's block so this came up late! Anyway, hope you like it and drop me a review if you have time, okay? 


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